Ford Motor Company Fund
/OVERVIEW: Ford Motor Company Fund supports basic needs, education and career development in areas where its parent motor company operates.
IP TAKE: The Ford Motor Company Fund partners with U.S. nonprofits on a variety of educational, career development and human services initiatives. Projects often bear the Ford name and are run cooperatively with the foundation. Grants may prioritize Michigan, California and D.C., but funding occurs all over the U.S. This funder recently ended its open application program. Grantseekers are advised to get in touch with local management to discuss opportunities.
PROFILE: The Ford Motor Company Fund or Ford Fund was established with profits from the Ford Motor Company in 1949. Based in Dearborn, Michigan, this foundation works with nonprofits in areas where Ford operates to improve community life, education and automobile safety.
Grants for STEM K-12 and Higher Education
The Ford Motor Company Fund’s education program focuses mostly on higher and vocational education, with community colleges, entrepreneurship programs, STEAM education, youth opportunities and scholarships receiving the bulk of funding. Ford prioritizes high school completion, STEM and applied learning, and much of its funding consists of signature programs. Two examples are the Ford Driving Dreams Tour, which supports high school graduation, college enrollment and literacy among Latino students in five states and Puerto Rico, and the STEMINISTA Project aims “to increase the confidence and skill sets in girls grades four through eight in pursuit of STEM fields.”
Grants for Housing, Food, Economic Opportunity, and Community Development
Ford’s community development gantmaking broadly supports programs that “feed the hungry, provide disaster relief, assist military veterans, support arts and culture initiatives and celebrate the diversity that strengthens communities.” The fund does not name specific strategies for its giving in this area, but tax filings suggest that it tends to give to large, well-known organizations including the United Way, Feeding America and lcoal chapters of the American the Red Cross. It also supports food pantries and school lunch programs.
Grants for Women and Girls
Ford has demonstrated a commitment to the lives of women and girls in the areas in which it operates through its grantmaking. While it does not outline specific priorities in this area, grants have gone to organizations including Ford Driving Skills for Life in Saudi Arabia, HERimpact D.C., and the S.H.A.U.N. Foundation for Girls.
Grants for Racial Justice
Ford’s racial justice giving has focused on education and culture. The fund does not currently name specific goals in this giving area. Grantees include the Hispanic Federation, Latin American’s for Social and Economic Development, the NAACP and Dearborn’s Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services.
Grants for Military and Veterans
Ford has given to oorganizations that address issues like health, homelessness, and employment for returning veterans, especially female veterans. Grantees include Disabled American Veterans, Workshops for Warriors, Bunker Labs, and Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum.
Grants for Arts and Culture
Ford’s grantmaking for arts and culture supports efforts that bring communities together to “share experiences, understand and preserve their heritage, and celebrate traditions that transcend ethnic and cultural boundaries.” In addition to “family friendly activities,” it supports a range of cultural events and artistic institutions in its giving areas, including the Gettysburg National Military Park, Country Music Hall of Fame, Grammy Museum, League of American Orchestras and Mount Vernon, Virginia.
Important Grant Details:
Grants generally range from $25,000 to $100,000, but can go up to $10 million. Ford Motor Company Fund supports grantmaking in the United States and around the world, but accepts applications only from nonprofit organizations registered in the U.S.
This funder recently ended its open application program and has not indicated when or if it will resume its application program. Grantseekers are advised to reach out to local management to discuss grantmaking opportunities.
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